Why Buying Flowers Is a Legit Form of Self-Care
“Self-care” is so more than just a trendy topic. When it comes to feeling your best and producing positive vibes that’ll help you attract the things that’ll help you flourish, taking care of yourself is a serious and important first step. Make time to tackle the obvious components in your wellness routine like nutrition, exercise, and sleep, but never discount the little gestures or compassion you show to yourself — they can have a surprisingly powerful impact.
According to a study conducted by the University of North Florida, The Impact of Flowers on Perceived Stress Among Women, something as simple as living with flowers (whether you receive them as a gift or buy them for yourself) in an indoor environment can make you feel happier. The brand new research piggybacks on years of behavioral studies from universities (including Harvard, Texas A&M, and Rutgers) that proved how flowers can help people feel more energetic, strengthen their feelings of compassion, foster creativity, and reduce stress to create feelings of happiness.
“There is a growing body of research that illustrates how environmental design positively impacts health. Now it is both intuitive and scientifically known that adding elements of nature, like flowers, to interiors promotes well-being,” lead researcher Erin Largo-Wight, PhD, Associate Professor of University of North Florida’s Department of Public Health, noted in the study. “Our findings are important from a public health perspective because adding flowers to reduce stress does not require tremendous effort to generate a meaningful effect. When life seems to be in a constant state of frenzy, flowers can provide us with a much-needed moment of calm.”
To prove her point, Largo-Wight’s team demonstrated that the average reduction in stress among the women who received and lived with flowers was -5.5 points on the study’s Perceived Stress Questionnaire, a strong statistical significance in a decrease in stress; participants who received the flowers reported improved moods.
This is an especially important reminder when you consider that, according to Wakefield Research, a whopping 68 percent of people say they feel stress on a weekly basis. Even more, 32 percent of people admit to feeling stressed every day, and 25 percent of women say they’re stressed multiple times each day. Nodding your head yes? We feel you, girl: Trying to crush it at work while managing money, family stuff, and more can totally take its toll.
While a night out with friends or going on vacation can help take the edge off, we think it’s nice to know that flowers can be an uplifting and beautiful quick fix. Go ahead and treat yourself to a new bouquet for your bedside table or desk at the office — you deserve it.
Do you buy yourself flowers? Show us your beautiful bouquets on Instagram by tagging @BritandCo.
(Photo via Getty)
